Challenges and priorities for the banking sector in Spain

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天美传媒 Insight

Challenges and priorities for the banking sector in Spain

June 16, 2025

Scaling up in Europe and responding to global fragmentation are key items on the banking industry鈥檚 strategic agenda.

A survey of 81 banking professionals who attended the , organized by 天美传媒 Industry Meetings in collaboration with the 天美传媒 Center for International Finance (CIF) and under the academic direction of German Lopez Espinosa, identifies the main strategic challenges facing the sector in Spain in a context marked by geoeconomic reconfiguration, the green transition and digitalization.

Scaling up and improving competitiveness at the European level was cited by 38% of respondents as their top priority, aiming to foster 鈥渂anking champions鈥� that strengthen the continent鈥檚 position. This was followed by adapting to the regulatory environment and contributing to its simplification (32%). Meanwhile, 15% highlighted the development of activity at the regional level. A slightly smaller 14% of professionals considered anticipating changes in the geoeconomic environment to be crucial. Lastly, only 1% mentioned aligning with the financing needs of European common security.

鈥淭hese priorities reflect the strategic role that banking can play in Europe鈥檚 recovery, in advancing toward greater integration, and in initiatives such as euro-denominated bond issuance to attract international capital and strengthen the common currency,鈥� says Lopez Espinosa.

The survey also reveals the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI) in transforming banking. Thirty percent of respondents use AI to automate financial and administrative processes, 24% apply it for risk assessment and fraud detection, and 20% use it to personalize services and customer experience. Eleven percent cite its use in supporting strategic decision-making through predictive analytics. Still, 15% acknowledge that AI adoption in their organization remains limited.

The multiple applications of AI point toward a more efficient, secure and customer-centric banking model. Furthermore, the advancement of the digital euro project 鈥渞einforces the need to reduce fragmentation in payment systems, an area where technology will be key to achieving greater strategic autonomy,鈥� concludes Lopez Espinosa.